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Marcha A Fox

Beyond the Hidden Sky

Synopsis

Laren Brightstar knew refusing to work for Augustus Troy would make him a target. Accepting the chief terralogist position on the other side of the galaxy seemed the simplest solution. Getting there, however, isn’t. Not with a teenage daughter like Creena.
She’s intelligent.
She’s a rebel.
And now she’s missing.
In deep space.
Was it an accident? Or abduction?
Either way he has to find her. Before Troy does. And somehow he knows life will never be simple again.

Author Biography

Marcha Fox’s passion for science fiction began as a child. Her determination to write in that genre knew no bounds, such that she even went back to college in her 30s to obtain a bachelor’s of science degree in physics, after which she spent over 20 years working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Science and engineering experience notwithstanding, it’s the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos, such as the concept of a universal consciousness, which provide the setting for Beyond the Hidden Sky, first volume of a four-part series. Centered on the Brightstar family who has been torn apart by a storm of political and scientific intrigue, they will stop at nothing until they are reunited.

Author Insight

The Flora Peda Telepathis

Everyone's beliefs evolve from various factors such as personality, culture, race, education, environment and experience. Anyone who has moved to a state or country other than the one they consider home notices cultural differences such as accents, slang, food, manners and communication protocol.
If another language is involved there are even more since language defines our thoughts. Cultures evolve according to their heritage and numerous other factors, making it impossible to judge one fairly without understanding their origins and their customs' rationale. Lack of understanding causes wars, a fact that's apparent by listening to the news.
If humans can't understand members of their own family, much less a neighboring state or country to say nothing of some culture across the globe; if they can't even connect with their own species, how will they ever deal with one that is truly alien?
This excerpt provides a glimpse into the mind of Thyron, a telepathic walking plant, whom Creena encounters somewhat later in the story. It's not apparent from this clip, but Thyron not only uses psi to communicate but does so in rhyme. How would you react if you encountered such a being?

Book Excerpt

Beyond the Hidden Sky

13. Conspiracies

Cerulean Nimrod

Thyron found it tremendously amusing that the crew of the Cerulean Nimrod thought he was good luck. Being subhuman, of course they believed in such rot, their brains insufficiently developed to comprehend an existence beyond grunts.

Oddly enough, by Sapphiran definition he probably was. Manipulating the most powerful force in the universe, where he spent the greater part of his existence, undoubtedly affected the events around them. Not random or happenchance, rather orchestrated, his appropriate use of energy resulted in more positive outcomes. To them it was luck. To him it was proper sequencing of events.

The frequency of Sapphiran psi waves was too low for him to detect, primarily because their brains were too simple to engage in high order communication. Indeed, their language consisted largely of hand gestures and body sounds. Yet this wasn't a problem. They were so low on the behavioral complexity scale that observation told him all he needed to know.

The assignment they'd contracted for was simple. Retrieve a pre-adult human girl expected to arrive on a planet being bombarded by celestial debris. Anyone with a fully developed brain would question such a task on any number of fronts. Not so the Sapphirans. Of course they had no intention of fulfilling it in the contractual sense, either.

Yes, they'd go to Verdaris, yes they'd retrieve the girl but that was where their plan deviated. After all, they already had a substantial part of their payment, the Cerulean Nimrod. The ship’s name meant “Blue Hunter”, which was lost on its illiterate crew and showed incredible ignorance on the part of the supplier.

Not surprising, Thyron thought. Humans weren't very high up the scale, either.

His preliminary samplings, however, of their quarry's consciousness had shown amazing promise, which was apparently why there was interest in her rescue, at least from the human standpoint. The Sapphiran viewpoint was yet another and his own another still. Vegemals synthesized and processed information at a rate far beyond that attained by their faunal counterparts. Unencumbered by blood, muscles and nerves, their substance permitted an entirely different view of things. Thriving on light had its benefits.

Time, for example, was of little import. Even flora that fell victim to seasons either put forth new growth or lived on in their seed in a quite literal sense. As flauna, or intelligent plant life, he couldn't see the future, but he could predict it, based on the feelings and motivations of the parties involved. He knew exactly what was going to happen when they got to Verdaris. Surprises were inevitable.